May 2022

Union Tips & Reminders

Non-Violence and Organizing Solidarity Event

Friday, May 20th, 10 AM - 2 PM

Focusing on the newly-published book Revolutionary Nonviolence: Organizing For Freedom, by James Lawson, this event is a seminar for students, labor, and community members alike. Co-authors Kent Wong, Director of the UCLA Labor Center, and Michael Honey, Labor and Civil Rights Historian at UW, will lead discussion and workshops on the Four Steps of organizing, with the goal of providing an opportunity to think practically about how to effectively build the next mass movement for social and economic justice.

If you are interested in joining AFT Washington for an in-person viewing party, please contact Cortney Marabetta at cmarabetta@aftwa.org

Register here.

Community & Labor Summit: Strategizing Our Rights

Saturday, May 21, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

The last two years have presented painful challenges while painting in vivid color the enormous gaps in our social contract, a contract that has been breached time and again over the last several decades. However, current circumstances present us with an opportunity, and the leaders and membership of AFT Washington invite you to join us to acknowledge the loss and suffering within our communities, examine and define the needs of our communities, and elevate our shared commitments and define the pathway to the better world we know is possible.

The summit will focus on the following themes: Health & Environmental Justice; Economic & Workers’ Rights; Immigration; Voting Rights & Political Representation; Police Accountability and Native American Sovereignty and Indigeneity.

The summit will be hybrid, and you will be asked at the time of registration to select whether you will attend in-person or online.

Register here.

The AFT Washington/Barnard Iglitzin & Lavitt Scholarship is Open! 

The AFT Washington/Barnard Iglitzin & Lavitt Scholarship was initiated in partnership with Barnard Iglitzin & Lavitt LLP, a Seattle-based labor law firm, in recognition of our close alliance in working toward improved education and labor rights for the working people of Washington State and the members of AFT Washington. For the 2022-2023 school year, at least two (2) scholarships of $1500 each will be made to AFT Washington members or their family members.

View the application for more details about eligibility and application guidelines.

Applications are due to the AFT Washington office on May 23, 2022.

If you’d like, you can also help us continue to provide scholarships by making a donation to the Scholarship Fund. Find information about how to donate here.

Worksite Rep Training

Tuesday, May 24, 5:00 - 7:00 PM

Whether you are called a union steward, building rep, officer, or executive board member, we all want to do our best to represent our members. During this training you will learn the importance of engaging our membership, building our power inside and outside of the worksite and enforcing our contract.

Register here.

Virtual Student Loan Debt Clinic

Wednesday, May 25, 5:00 - 7:00 PM

New changes to Public Service Loan Forgiveness dramatically expanded access for our members. In addition, Washington state legislation requires public employers to provide information to members regarding eligibility for loan forgiveness and increase the multiplier of hours for adjunct faculty to reach the full-time threshold for the federal program.

But there’s a limited time for many people to take advantage of these changes. Come learn how two federal programs can potentially reduce your monthly payments and forgive your remaining debt after 10 years of payments, as well as how to take advantage of the Limited Time PSLF Expansion Waiver. The waiver has a deadline of October 31, 2022, so the time to get enrolled is right now! Join us to find out how!

Register here.

3rd Annual Bhangra at Skagit Valley College

Sunday, May 26, 4:00 - 8:00 PM

Next month, the South Asian Student Club, in collaboration with the Black Student Union, the Human Services Club, and the Art Club will be hosting the 3rd annual Bhangra in Ferndale, WA. Bhangra is a Punjabi folk dance from the Punjab region of India. This event consists of an evening of choreographed dance performances by Bhangra groups from across Washington, followed by a sumptuous Indian buffet dinner catered by Saffron Grill. If you or someone at your local is interested in attending, please contact Geno Amador at gamador@aftwa.org to learn more.

Adjunct Unemployment Workshop

Friday, June 10, 12:00 – 1:00 PM

AFT Washington and WEA Contingent Faculty leaders have helped hundreds of adjuncts successfully apply for unemployment benefits over more than a decade. This workshop is intended for seasoned and new applicants alike. The aim is to increase your chances of getting your unemployment claims as adjuncts resolved quickly, decreasing the potential of accidentally triggering delays that could delay payments by months.

Register here.

Communications Help Is Available

Is your local not sure how to best use your website? Did you know you can have a free website? Would you like help with figuring out strategies for better communications outreach? Got something for the whole union to hear about? We can help with all of these, and more!

On top of helping your local, we can provide outreach to the union as a whole, through the Pulse and the Union Spotlight. We are actively interested in anything your members are doing, such as workshops  or innovative problem solving.

If you have questions about them, want guidance, or are interested in learning more, please contact Cortney Marabetta at cmarabetta@aftwa.org.

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